DODGED THE POLICE

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 155, 4 July 1938, Page 5

DODGED THE POLICE

THEN SURRENDERED.

PRISCN-BREAKER'S STORY

ROAMED THREE CONTINENTS. (Special.—By Air Mail.) LOXDOX. June 14. John Dale, the Australian who has earned the reputation of being the first prison-breaker really to baffle the London police, told his story this week—how lie escaj>ed from hospital while on remand, roamed three continents and tinally returned to London to give himself up.

"I have proved that the safest place for anybody who is the subject of a police hunt U to be somewhere near a [Hilice station.'' he said triumphantly.

"It was. perhaps, a stroke of luck that I was taken ill with appendicitis and had to be hurried off to hospital. But, believe me, that was no fake. I was desperately ill and in great pain.

"The plan of escape did not occur to me until I was actually in the hospital. I realised how essential it was that I should get evidence to prove my innocence, so I decided to give myself bail.

"'The urge to escape overcame mv pain and a temperature of 1(12. 1 soon learned the routine of the hospital and made mv getaway when a nurse's back was tinned. I want to apologise for th,. shock I gave that nurse. 1 took a room not far from the hospital and a few doors from a police -station. Here 1 stayed in bed, a very sick man. for several da vs.

"By this time I judged that the ed<»e would have worn off the hunt for me. *! have since learned that the police circu-

luted my description to every hospital and warned medical staffs to check up on any appendicitis oases that came their

way. Officials at the ports were also warned to be on the look-out.

"I went openly to Paris as an ordinary week-end visitor and roused the suspicion of no one. After ten days I decided to go to South America and there •lose' my identity. For £2 I obtained the ship"s papers of an able seaman in a cargo boat in the South Atlantic trade. Once aboard I ceased to be the man for whom the police were searching. Mv passport problem disappeared. On the other side I was just a seaman waitin" tor a ship. °

'•Finally I got n ship bound for Gibraltar. There I went ashore in search of adventure in Spain. Just as 'easv - money can be made by those ready to "take the risk of getting cash out of Germany, so there are large sums to be earned by anrlxxly ready to run risks in Spain, "i cleaned up a 'packet.' "-In a few weeks I found that the witness I sought was in Tangier, so I went there, only to find that lie had left for Johannesburg. I followed him there and then deeded to return to London to see tins business through. I gave myself up and instructed my lawyers with mv defence and placed them in possession ot all the evidence."